Rockford to buy former Fran Kral dealership

The City Council gave the go-ahead Monday to buy the former Fran Kral auto dealership on Third Street near City Hall for $400,000.

Greg Stanley

The City Council gave the go-ahead Monday to buy the former Fran Kral auto dealership on Third Street near City Hall for $400,000.

The 1.7-acre property includes surrounding parking lots that boarder North Second Street, State Street and Market Street. City officials plan to open the lots to the public and nearby businesses.

Several aldermen, Mayor Larry Morrissey and city Administrator Jim Ryan said there’s no use planned for the building yet.

The dealership closed at the end of 2012.

Some are eyeing it as a potential police district station for when the police department decentralizes from one headquarters at the Public Safety Building to three yet-to-be-determined district stations.

The property was assessed at $458,000, City Attorney Patrick Hayes said.

Sunil LLC, an offshoot of development firm First Rockford Group, negotiated a deal for $400,000 with owner Fran Kral. Sunil LLC offered its contract position to the city, stepping aside for the city to buy it.